China has asked Russia to supply it with Sukhoi Su-35 fighters and Almaz-Antei S-400 Triumph long-range air defence systems.

The Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper quoted Alexander Fomin, deputy head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying that Beijing filed requests for the equipment last year. "The Russian side is considering these applications," he said.

Fomin refused to specify how many fighters China is seeking to buy. Last year it cancelled an order for a second batch of 95 Su-27s for local assembly, after Shenyang launched series production of its comparable J-11 design. Four Su-35s have so far been delivered to the Russian air force to support trials activities, with the type expected to enter frontline use in 2013.

China has previously acquired S-300PMU2 "Favorit" air defence systems from Russia, and hopes to field next-generation S-400 surface-to-air missiles from 2015.